


Fitful Alterations

by OftenWrongSoong



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Is it still gore if it's an android?, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Gore, all of the feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 10:47:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18636607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OftenWrongSoong/pseuds/OftenWrongSoong
Summary: An away mission goes dreadfully awry, and leaves a member of the team fighting for their life. On a planet ravaged by battering storms, how can they survive?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The fitful alternations of the rain,  
> When the chill wind, languid as with pain  
> Of its own heavy moisture, here and there  
> Drives through the gray and beamless atmosphere 
> 
> Percy Bysshe Shelley

“This looks like the research outpost. Or at least, what’s left of it.”

Riker frowned as he looked out over the devastated area. La Forge swept the wreckage with his tricorder, scowling at the readout, while Data kept his eyes on the sky.

“At least it was unmanned.” La Forge muttered. “Looks like an explosion of some kind, maybe a power surge.”

“It is more than likely that it was a lightning strike.” Data murmured, his gaze sweeping the horizon where a dark mass of clouds was gathering. “The electrical activity in the upper atmosphere on this planet is known to be extreme, and even more so now than in the past due to the reversal of the planet's poles.”

The outpost hadn’t transmitted information for two weeks, and now it was clear why. It was spread out over an area of about a quarter of a mile, sheet metal and delicate electronics equally devastated. The landscape of the whole planet bore testament to the violence of the weather, barely a shred of vegetation clinging to the pock-marked surface, the sky a roiling grey blanket of cloud shot through with sickly yellow. 

They had been forced to land the shuttle some distance away and walk to the site, most of the ground too scarred to provide a safe place to set the craft down. Attempting to use the transporter, O’Brien assured them, would be ‘nothing short of suicide’; the unstable atmosphere would scatter their patterns like dust on the wind. Riker suppressed a shudder as he looked across the barren landscape, apocalyptic-looking in the dim light filtering through the ever present cloud layer. The outpost had been situated in a small valley between two rocky hills, presumably in an attempt to shield it from the worst of the weather. Riker shook his head. It didn’t seem to have done much good.

“Well, I guess we’ve got what we came here for, best if we head back.” He said quietly. None of them seemed to want to raise their voices, the oppressive atmosphere deadening their words. They had only walked for about a mile to reach the site, but his uniform was clinging damply to his body with perspiration, the humidity stifling. La Forge wiped a hand across his brow with a heavy sigh.

“Yeah, not much more I can get from this.” He gestured irritably at the obliterated machinery.

“We need to find shelter, quickly.” Data’s voice was almost flat, but Riker’s head snapped towards the android at the faint note of panic underlying his words.

“Data? What is it?”

Data frowned at the horizon. “There is another front moving rapidly towards our position.” His yellow-gold eyes widened as he turned to the two humans. “We need to go, now.”

“Okay, back to the shuttle...” Riker began to move off but Data grabbed at his arm with a shake of his head.

“There is no time, the storm is moving too quickly.” He scanned the area swiftly and then pointed at a hollow barely visible in one of the rocky hills. “There is a small cave. Geordi, do you see it?”

Geordi frowned, his visor feeding him layers of optical information. “Yeah, I see it.”

“Run.” Data dropped Riker’s arm to shove Geordi’s shoulder. “Now, Geordi. Run.”

Geordi needed no further encouragement as a peal of thunder rolled over them, the sound an almost physical pressure, and he took off. Data looked briefly at Riker who nodded in understanding, and they ran as the first heavy drops of rain began to hammer into the ground around them, kicking up plumes of dust into the turgid air.

Data rapidly outpaced Riker and drew level with Geordi just in time to grab his arm as a bright flash of lightning turned their world to stark black and white and the rain became a torrential downpour. Geordi yelped in shock and stumbled as his visor cut out, and Data gripped his arm tight and all but dragged him forward, urging him on as the crack of thunder almost deafened him. They sprinted into the cave side by side and Data released Geordi’s arm.

“Are you all right?” He asked, the rain dripping from his hair. Geordi nodded, his hands on his knees, trying to steady his breathing.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” He gasped, as he took his visor off to dash the water from his face with his hand. “Wasn’t expecting my visor to cut out like that.”

“The electrical activity is ionising the atmosphere.” Data looked round the interior of the cave before turning back to the opening. “Where is Commander Riker?”

Geordi snapped his visor back on. “Damn! He must still be out there!” He made for the entrance but Data put a hand to his shoulder with a shake of his head.

“You must not go back into the storm. Your visor will cease to function.”

“You can’t be suggesting that _you’ll_ go find him?” Geordi frowned. “It’ll affect you just the same!”

“I am better equipped to deal with the situation. There is no time to argue.”

“Alright.” Geordi clapped his hand to the android’s shoulder. “Be careful.”

Data answered with a curt nod before turning and darting back out into the storm.

 

Riker had taken shelter behind a sheet of twisted duranium, and Data dove into the pathetic cover it provided from the lashing rain. The man’s bearded face was pale.

“It’s my ankle, I think it’s just sprained.” Riker grimaced. Data didn’t give him the chance to say any more and simply scooped him up.

“Hold on.” was all he said before he took off at a dead run, and Riker flung his arms around his neck almost reflexively as the android pelted through the storm. The thunder was constant now, the lightning striking with alarming frequency, illuminating the whole world around them with an eerie flickering and giving the whole landscape an ethereal, unreal look. Riker buried his face in Data’s shoulder as lightning struck nearby with an earth-shattering crack, and Data stumbled and gasped before drawing himself up and putting on a last burst of speed to bring them hurtling into the cave.

Geordi moved forward to help Riker stand as Data released him, and Riker put his arm round Geordi’s shoulder gratefully as he hobbled as far from the entrance as possible before slumping to the floor.

“I’m okay, it’s my ankle, I twisted it on a loose rock.” Riker pulled his boot off with a grimace and Geordi looked over his foot, where the purple-blue of bruising was already beginning to spread under his skin.

“Not much we can do about it right now.” Geordi said with a shake of his head. “All the first aid stuff’s back in the shuttle.”

“It’s fine, if we can find something I can prop it up on...”

“Geordi.” Data’s voice was low but drew both of their attention. The android hadn’t moved since relinquishing the commander to Geordi’s care. He had one pale hand pressed to his abdomen.

“Data? What’s wrong?”

“I...” Data looked down as he drew his hand away from the slowly spreading yellow stain steadily seeping through his rain-soaked uniform around a sliver of metal sticking through his stomach. He looked up at Geordi, a frown creasing his white brow.

“It struck me from behind.” He murmured. Geordi shot to his feet, his dark face turning ashen as he hastened to the android and peered around Data’s shoulder, to see half a foot of jagged metal protruding through his jacket, yellow fluid welling up around it and trickling thickly down the android’s back, mingling with the rain water dripping to the ground.

“Okay... Okay.” Geordi drew a shuddering breath. He put his hands on Data’s shoulders. “I need you to come over here, as far away from the entrance as we can get, and then sit down. Can you do that?”

Data nodded shakily and Geordi gently drew him deeper into the cave and helped him to sit down next to Riker.

“Okay, if you lean back, I think you can rest your shoulders against the wall, but be careful not to push it in any further.” Geordi’s voice was quiet and calm as he looked over the android, who had leaned back rigidly against the rough stone of the cavern wall, his gold eyes wide, mouth a tight drawn line. Riker clenched his jaw as he saw the injury, his own pain forgotten.

“What happened?” He murmured.

“The lightning struck nearby and hit a piece of the debris.” Data shuddered as Geordi ran his fingers gently over the point of shrapnel sticking through the front of his jacket.

“Was that... while you were carrying me?” Riker’s eyes widened. “I thought you just tripped...”

“We’ve got to get your jacket and shirt off. I know it’s not gonna be easy. You want me to help?” Geordi’s face was lined with the anxiety that he was forcing not to allow to reach his voice. Data nodded and sat up with a grimace. His movements were stiff as he shrugged the jacket from his shoulders, and Geordi tore the material to ease it over the splinter in his back. Data looked down at his shirt and contemplated for a moment before simply tearing it from his body rather than having to lift his arms over his head. Geordi bundled the sodden fabric and handed it to Riker.

“Here, you might be able to bind your ankle with this.” He said quietly, and Riker nodded, taking the ruined shirt with shaking hands. He tore it into strips as best he could while Geordi examined Data’s injury. 

“Looks like it’s missed your spine.” Geordi murmured, gently peeling back the bioplast to peer underneath. Data shivered and hissed through his teeth.

“It has ruptured my main fluid storage compartment.” The android’s voice was shaking. Geordi looked into his pale face and took both of his shoulders, gripping him tightly.

“Data, look at me. I can fix this. You know that, right?” Data swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay. So I need you to stay calm. It’s best if we leave it in place for now, it’s helping to stop up the hole. Try not to move too much, keep your breathing steady. I’m gonna go see if I can get a message to the Enterprise. Just stay calm, okay?” Geordi squeezed the androids shoulders and then stood, snapping his combadge off and running the tricorder over it as he paced towards the entrance of the cave. Riker finished binding his ankle, shivering at the feel of the wet fabric, chill against his injury. He glanced briefly at Data, who was staring off into the middle distance.

“It’s gonna be okay.” He said lamely, and Data nodded vaguely. With a sigh Riker pushed himself awkwardly to his feet and tested his ankle gingerly, before hobbling to where Geordi was tinkering with his combadge and staring out into the driving rain.

“Any luck?” He leaned close to Geordi to speak quietly over the ever-present thunder. Geordi shook his head irritably.

“You shouldn’t be up, your ankle needs to rest.”

“You want to tell me what’s going on?” Riker pitched his voice low.

“Well, there’s no way I can get a transmission through the atmospheric disturbance without...”

“I’m talking about Data.”

Geordi sighed and holstered his tricorder, slapping his combadge back onto his jacket. “I know.”

“I don’t mean to pry, but I need to know what’s going on. It seems like he’s... in pain.”

“Well...” Geordi looked out into the storm, unwilling to meet Riker’s eyes. “He is, in a way. Since the emotion chip fused with his neural net, he’s been experiencing things differently. When it comes to... being damaged, he’s always been aware of it, you know? I mean, he gets warnings, damage reports, stuff like that. But with the chip, those... alerts... Well, they create the, the _symptoms_ of a pain response.”

Riker hummed. “Anything we can do?”

“No-one’s bothered to make an android anesthetic yet, and even if they had, we wouldn’t have it with us!” Geordi snapped with a scowl, before his face softened and he looked away with a sigh. “Sorry, don’t mean to be...”

“It’s okay, your friend’s hurt. I understand.” Riker put his hand on Geordi’s shoulder. “I care about him too, you know.”

Geordi grimaced. “Yeah, I know. But, Will... It’s bad. I mean, really bad.”

“Come on, Geordi, we’ve seen him worse than this. Hell, he’s been in _pieces_ before!”

Geordi shook his head. “Not like this. When he’s disassembled there are fail-safes, specific detachment points that make sure...”  He drew a trembling breath and scrubbed his cheeks with his hands. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just tell me what we need to do.”

“There’s nothing we _can_ do, not without tools.”

“What’s the worst case scenario?” Riker looked searchingly at the engineer. Geordi shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.

“His fluid storage tank is leaking, and fast. That’s his circulatory fluid, his blood. It powers his hydraulics, lubricates his joints, and it functions as coolant too. If it gets too low, he won’t be able to move, and he’ll overheat. Once that happens...” He shrugged irritably. “That’s it.”

“Can we... shut him down? Now? Stop that from happening?”

“Well, while he’s active, he can keep control, keep rerouting his fluidic systems away from the damage. If we deactivate him, he won’t be able to help us, plus he’ll be dead weight if we have to move him. And apart from that, he hates it. I think if you gave him the choice, which we should, he’d rather stay active.”

“Even while he’s hurt?” Riker frowned.

“Will, it-it’s not like having an anesthetic. He doesn’t just go to sleep. When he’s shut down, it’s just...” He snapped his fingers. “Nothing. Gone. And it terrifies him. He... He’s afraid he may never wake up.”

“So what now?” Riker looked at Geordi, who shook his head.

“I... I don’t... Just... just give me a minute, will ya?”

Riker patted his shoulder in sympathy and left him staring out into the rain.


	2. Chapter 2

Riker had settled himself down onto the packed earth floor next to Data, keeping his weight off his injured ankle. As the adrenaline had drained from his body he had begun to shake, and now his teeth were chattering as the rain-soaked clothes chilled him. Geordi paced the cave anxiously, hugging himself and stamping his feet. The rain continued to fall, the interior of their shelter illuminated only by the intermittent flashes of lightning.

 “Sun’s going down.” Geordi grumbled. “Gonna need some heat.” He cast his eyes around the interior of the small cave before stalking to the entrance to peer out. He swept the immediate area swiftly before giving a small cry of triumph and darting out into the rain. Data looked up, an anxious frown creasing his pale brow.

“Geordi?” The android made as if to stand and Riker put a firm hand to his shoulder.

“He’s okay, just relax.” Almost before he got the words out Geordi was back, stumbling into the cave cradling a small boulder with some difficulty.

“I assume you have a plan?” Riker said, grinning despite his discomfort. Geordi dropped the rock in the middle of the cave and drew his phaser. He deftly tweaked the controls and aimed the beam at the boulder, which emitted a cloud of steam as the rainwater suddenly boiled away from its surface. When Geordi lowered the phaser the rock was glowing a deep red, and waves of comforting warmth were rolling from it to fill the small cave. Riker sighed in relief and stripped off his sodden jacket to hand to Geordi, who laid it out on the floor next to his own, as close to the rock as he dared.

“Neat trick.” Riker rolled his shoulders appreciatively as his shirt began to warm through.

“It’s an old one. I thought you’d read all the survival manuals out there?” Geordi sat down next to Data. “You okay?”

“No.” Data looked distracted, and that worried the engineer. The android had been disconcertingly quiet.

“I know you’d rather it was cold in here, but...”

“It is all right, Geordi. It is important for you and the commander to maintain your body temperature.”

“You know,” Riker leaned back against the wall with a small smile, “I think under the circumstances you can call me Will.”

“You are still my commanding officer.” Data’s eyes looked glassy in the dim light as he turned his head slowly towards Riker, who shrugged.

“True. But right now we’re just three friends, looking after each other. Right?”

“I understand. It is more important for us to maintain morale with companionship than it is for us to adhere to a rigid rank structure.” Data nodded vaguely. “Will.”

“Right.” Will smiled. “So, now at least we have some heat. The next thing is water. Geordi, I don’t suppose that rainwater is good to drink?”

Geordi shook his head. “It’s probably okay in small amounts, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Besides, we haven’t got anything to collect it in.”

“Okay.” Will nodded. “So if the storm lets up tomorrow, I’ll get back to the shuttle and gather some supplies, maybe see if I can move it to a closer spot. Then we can get you fixed up.” He smiled at Data. “In the meantime we should all get some rest.”

“Sounds good to me.” Geordi stretched with a yawn, the warmth seeping through to his aching muscles. He bundled up his now almost-dry jacket and used it to pillow his head as he lay down on the dirt floor. “Eh, slept in worse places.”

Riker grinned. “Better than my first quarters at the academy.” He too stretched out on the floor, and before long they were both asleep.

Data stared into the glowing heart of the rock and waited until the two humans slipped into a deep sleep state. Then he made a small adjustment to his fluidic system and disabled his vocal synthesizer. Without sound, and without tears, he wept.

 

“How’s it looking?” Will queried, limping to where Geordi was scowling out into the rain.

“Still pretty bad, although the electrical activity’s nowhere near as intense.”

Will sighed and set his jaw. “Well, no sense in putting it off.”

“I should go.” Geordi frowned. “With your busted ankle...”

“I’ll still get further than you, if Data’s right about your visor.”

“Which he is.” Geordi looked back into the cave at the android. Data hadn’t relaxed, his back rigidly straight, shoulders braced against the wall. Geordi shuddered at the sight of the point of shrapnel gleaming in the morning light, yellow-stained and vicious where it jutted from the android’s pale stomach. The wound was still oozing, although the flow was sluggish.

 “You don’t know what tools I need.” Geordi murmured.

“Then I’ll just bring everything.” Will did his best to grin, but his mouth was so dry he feared his lips might crack if he smiled too widely. Geordi turned to him, his brow furrowed over his visor.

“Whatever you can find. Just... quickly, okay? And be careful.”

“Sure, sure. Look after him. At least you’ll be here if anything... if he... deteriorates.” Will coughed awkwardly. Geordi grimaced.

“Fat lotta good I’ll be able to do. Anyway... Good luck.”

Will threw him a half-hearted salute and hobbled out into the rain. Geordi watched his retreating form until the red and black figure was swallowed up by the heavy curtain of the storm. He sighed deeply before retreating back into the safety of the cave. Even standing in the entrance made his visor falter, his visual feet stuttering and distorting. He knew Will was right, and Data, but he hated waiting, not being able to help. Not being able to fix what was wrong.

He sat down next to Data, resting his shoulder gently against the android’s.

“You doing okay?” He said quietly. Data turned his head slowly to look at him.

“Not particularly, no.” The android’s breathing was shallow and rapid, his face drawn. Geordi gave him a soft smile of sympathy.

“Wanna give me an update?”

Data swallowed and looked away. “The fluid level has dropped past the rupture, but as I am unable to completely reroute my circulatory system to avoid the damaged area I am still experiencing fluid loss, albeit at a much reduced rate. My internal temperature has risen by fifteen-point-four degrees since you last asked...”

“How do you feel?” Geordi kept his voice low and gentle.

“I...” Data’s head swung back around to meet Geordi’s gaze. “I am in pain. I am anxious. I...” He clenched his jaw. “I am afraid.” His voice shook as he spoke and he blinked hard, sending two yellow tears rolling down his cheeks, which he brushed away irritably with the back of his hand.

“Hey, hey...” Geordi reached across to place his hand on the android’s chest. “It’s okay, you’re allowed to be frightened, that’s only natural. But try not to cry, okay? You can’t afford to lose the fluid.”

Data grimaced. “Was that remark intended to be humorous? Because I have to admit that I do not find it particularly amusing.”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m not... very good at this whole... looking after people thing.” Geordi looked away, suddenly awkward. Data’s chest was hot under his palm, rising and falling too fast in his attempts to keep his temperature down. Geordi moved his hand away, uncomfortably reminded of how dire the situation was. He sighed deeply as he looked across the cave at the entrance.

“Hopefully Will can move the shuttle a bit closer. Then we won’t have too far to walk.”

“What if...” Data’s voice cracked with his anxiety. “What if he cannot come back? What if he is injured, and cannot bring what we need? What if...”

“Data, you can’t think like that. Try and stay positive. He’ll be back before you know it, and I’ll patch you up, and then we’re out of here, you’ll see. It’ll be fine.”

“Geordi...” Data reached out and took the man’s hand. “What if you cannot fix me?”

“Not gonna happen.” He squeezed Data’s hand. “I can fix anything, you know me. I’ll have you fighting fit in no time, I promise.”

“Do not promise.” Data’s voice was almost a whisper. “You cannot promise. I... I am not sure that it is possible for you to affect the necessary repairs in time.”

“We’ve gotten out of worse scrapes than this.” Geordi looked away from Data’s anguished gaze. “Give it a week and we’ll be laughing about this over a beer in the bar.”

“I want so much to believe you.” Geordi looked back to the android at his words. Data’s luminous eyes were wide with fear, and Geordi reached out to cradle the android’s face in his palm.

“Well, believe me; I swear I will do everything in my power to get you through, you hear me? Because I love you, okay? And I-I’m not gonna give up. I’m gonna fight, and I don’t care how long it takes. Alright?”

Data gave a shuddering sigh and leaned his head on Geordi’s shoulder. “All right. I love you too.”

 

Will paused in the entrance of the cave and dashed the water from his bearded face with his one free hand. He peered into the gloom, the sun setting through the sheet of rain behind him dimly illuminating the interior of their shelter. The rock that Geordi had heated had cooled and no longer glowed brightly. Data and Geordi were huddled closely together, seemed to be speaking softly to each other. Will raised his hand and opened his mouth to call a greeting, but froze as he saw their chins tilt, their mouths meet.

He backed out of the cave and into the rain, waited a moment, and then kicked at a pile of loose debris and cursed loudly as if he had slipped. He stomped into the cave and wiped the rain from his face as Geordi stood and came to help divest him of the packs that he had hauled laboriously through the storm.

“Hey, glad you made it okay!” Geordi grinned. “You get everything we need?”

“Well, I don’t know about that, but I grabbed as much as I could carry.”

“Your ankle hold up?”

Will grinned back at him. “First thing I did was fix it.” He held up his foot and waggled it to prove it, and then stripped off his sodden jacket and began unpacking water and food, thermal blankets and first aid materials as Geordi began rummaging through the pack of tools.

“Nope... nope... uh-huh... yeah...” Geordi was making two piles; tools with potential use, and those unsuitable for the delicate work necessary to save the android. To his dismay, the pile of useful tools was pathetically small. He scowled at it as if it was the equipment’s fault.

“Well, we’ll just have to make do.” He grumbled. Will passed him a canteen of water and he drank gratefully before offering it to Data, who shook his head.

“There is little point in my ingesting any fluids until we are sure they will not simply go to waste.”

Geordi grunted in agreement and capped the bottle before reaching for the tools. “Best if we get started then.”

Will frowned. “Don’t you think you’d better eat something first? It’s been more than twenty-five hours since your last meal.”

“I want to get this done, there’s no time to waste.”

Data quirked an eyebrow. “Geordi. My condition is not yet so critical that I will experience significant deterioration in the time that it will take you to consume a protein bar. Please, eat something.”

Geordi sighed resignedly and took the proffered emergency ration bar from Will’s outstretched hand. It wasn’t until the first bite that he realized how hungry he was and, despite the fact that it had the texture and taste of damp cardboard, he devoured it with alacrity. When he threw the wrapper onto the dirt floor he saw Will grinning at him, and he smiled in return.

“Better?”

“Much, thanks.” Geordi’s grin slipped. “We’d better get to work.”

“Sure.” Will’s expression sobered immediately. “What do you need me to do?”

Geordi looked over at Data and frowned. “I think you’ll have to brace him while I’m working, so we can minimise movement. Data, can you move to sit side-on to the wall?”

Data nodded but gasped sharply as he straightened, his eyes squeezing shut. Geordi gathered his tools and moved to sit behind the android as Data inched himself around with a whimper. Will sat in front of him and put his hands on the android’s pale shoulders.

“Okay. Step one.” Geordi set his jaw. “We’ve got to get this out. It’s not gonna be pleasant.”

“Wait, one moment!” Data turned his head to look back over his shoulder as Geordi set his hand to the sliver of metal.

“What is it?”

Data pressed his lips together for a moment. “I do not think that I will be able to control my emotional outbursts. You will simply have to ignore me. I apologize in advance for any...”

“Data.” Will spoke quietly. “We understand, it’s okay. You say whatever you feel like, shout and swear all you want, we won’t be offended.” Geordi nodded agreement.

“You just hang on to Will, okay? I’m gonna start.”

As Geordi began to pull the shrapnel free Data’s hands shot out to grip Will’s damp shirt, bunching it into his white-gold hands tightly. The metal shrieked as Geordi pulled, grinding against the internal workings of the android with a sound that set Will’s teeth aching. Data gasped.

“Geordi, stop, please.”

“I can’t Data, you know that.”

“I-I-I know, you must excuse me, intellectually I am aware of...” There was another grinding squeal of meal on metal and Data’s voice rose in pitch. “Stop! Please, Geordi, please!”

“I’m sorry, I-I’ve got to...” Geordi ground his teeth together and pulled, and the shard of metal left Data’s body with a shrill screech and a trickle of fluid. He threw it aside viciously before bending to examine the wound.

“Lean forward.” He said gruffly, and Data slumped onto Will, resting his forehead on the man’s shoulder with a shudder as Geordi began peeling back the bioplast skin. Will shifted his grip to the android’s upper arms to support him as Geordi inserted a tool and Data whined. The android’s breath was uncomfortably hot on Will’s chest as Data gasped and pleaded, and the man turned his head away and clenched his jaw as he looked out into the ever-present storm battering the ravaged planet.

“Geordi please, please stop, please, please Geordi, stop...” Data’s voice was a whimpering drone and Geordi blocked it out, drew his focus tightly to the work that needed to be done, hardened his heart.

_Just another machine. He’s just another machine._

It took him a few minutes to assess the damage, and his heart sank into his boots as it dawned on him that Data had been right. He couldn’t fix this. Not now, at least, not with these tools, in the dim light of the rapidly setting sun. He fought down his rising panic and sealed the puncture in the tank as best he could, but it was a botch job and he knew it. His hand trembled as he tried to fuse some of the tiny tubes that functioned as vessels for the circulatory system but it was hopeless. He slowly drew the tool out and looked over what he had managed with a critical eye. He had at least bought them some time.

“I need to look at the other side.” His voice was harsh and strained as he tried to keep his emotions in check. Will gently pushed Data upright and the two men traded places, Will pulling Data back to lean the android against his chest while Geordi bent over the android’s pale abdomen, slick with the sickly yellow of his hemorrhaged fluids.  The wound in Data’s stomach was only about an inch long, and Geordi used every setting he could on his visor to peer inside to the android’s inner workings and guide the tools as he slowly worked his way towards the worst of the damage. It took him only a few minutes but when he finally sat back on his heels there was sweat running down his face.

Data was leaning back with his head on Will’s shoulder, staring at the uneven roof of the cave with his golden-yellow eyes wide. His pale fingers had clenched into the packed dirt of the floor, which was rapidly turning to mud under him where the fluid that had run from his body had soaked into the earth. Geordi opened his trembling mouth to speak, and then simply shook his head and stood, flinging the tools aside in anger and stalking away to glare out onto the surface of the planet, into the storm that had caused them so much pain. Behind him Will was talking quietly to Data, murmuring something that Geordi couldn’t make out over the rumbles of thunder and the crashing roar of the rain.

“Geordi.” Will was by his side, one hand on the engineer’s shoulder. “What is it?”

“I-I... I couldn’t do it, Will!” Geordi’s voice was a harsh whisper. “I couldn’t fix him, and he knows it! He told me he didn’t think I could and he was right, and I-I tried so hard but I...”

“Hey, hey...” Will’s hand tightened on his shoulder, lending him strength. “You’ve done the best you could, in a difficult situation. He knows that, _I_ know that, and you should too.”

“I... I know, but...” Geordi breathed a trembling sigh and scrubbed his cheeks with his hands. Will looked back at Data, who had leaned once more against the wall of the cave, head low and shoulders curled in his misery.

“Go to him.” Will said quietly.

“I can’t _help_ him, Will, don’t you understand?” Geordi cried, all pretense of control gone in his distress. Will gripped his shoulder and looked at him with his calm grey eyes.

“You can give him what he needs now. Go, please, he needs you.”

Geordi’s brow furrowed. “I don’t...”

“I _know_ , Geordi. I know about the two of you. Go to him.”

Geordi pressed his lips together and whirled away to fling himself onto the dirt floor and gather Data into his arms, murmuring what words of comfort he could muster into the android’s ear as he rocked him and held him as tightly as he dared. Will turned his face back to the storm and tried to block out the sound of Data’s harsh sobs.


	3. Chapter 3

Data had managed to ingest some water but, as he informed them, he dared not use any more processing power in order to chemically convert it to the precise formula needed for his circulatory fluid. Instead he had shunted it directly into the storage tank, and was running a barely-suitable mix of water and what little lubricant he had left through his system, in a desperate attempt to keep his temperature down. His joints were stiff and his hydraulics under-powered, but he judged it still sufficient for what movement was necessary, when the time came to try to make it back to the shuttle.

The men had wrapped themselves in thermal blankets as the last of the light left the sky, not daring to heat the cave for fear of pushing Data’s already over-taxed systems over the limit. And, as Data had tartly told them, he would be producing enough heat for them to warm themselves. Will found himself silently agreeing with that assessment; leaning against the android was like sitting next to a radiator.

Geordi had insisted on looting the first aid kit for bandages and wadding to bind Data’s wounds as best he could. Data had remained silent as they dressed his injuries, although they had all known that it was a pointless exercise. Now the three of them sat against the wall, watching the rain, Data in the middle and the two men leaning against his sides. The android shifted minutely.

“I am afraid that I am now obliged to limit my functions in order to reduce the strain on my processors.”

“Okay.” Geordi turned to look at him. “What’s the plan?”

“I intend to enter a hibernation state.” Data’s voice was bland and matter-of-fact. “I will disable all non-critical functions. This will of course include visual processing, all movement excepting respiration, and speech. I am afraid that you will find me rather dull company.”

Will chuckled softly. “Don’t worry about that, we’ll probably sleep soon anyway. But what if we need to wake you?”

“I intend to continue to process auditory signals, albeit without saving everything I process. This should cut down on memory usage, but will also mean that I can be aware of a specific set of code words that I will link to a sub-program to restart my main functions. Might I suggest a string of words not liable to arise during the course of a normal conversation?”

“Good idea. And something easy to remember, too.” Geordi pondered a moment. “How about ‘Sherlock Holmes’?”

Data pursed his lips. “Might you fall into a conversation about Holodeck programs?”

“Maybe.” Geordi frowned. “Okay then, what about ‘Arthur Conan Doyle’?”

Data’s eyes closed and his head slumped forward. His mouth went lax and his voice came eerily directly from his throat. “Command code set.” His body relaxed gradually until the only movement was his chest rising and falling rhythmically. The two men were silent for a time, each wrapped in their own thoughts as the rain lashed down outside. Finally Will cleared his throat.

“So. You and Data, huh?”

“Yeah.” Geordi shifted a little closer to the android’s unconscious body. “Me and Data.”

Will pondered for a moment. “If you don’t mind me asking... since when? And for that matter, how?”

“Actually, I _do_ mind.” Geordi sighed and snapped off his visor, clutching it tightly in his hand. “But I guess we’ve got nothing better to talk about. So.” He took a deep breath before leaning his head back against the rough stone wall. “I guess it was because we were such good friends, y’know? Like, we had so much in common, and we understood each other on, like, a fundamental level, you know? Well, I guess Data figured that was enough, so he comes to me and asks if I wanted to, to be in a-a relationship, romantically I mean. So I told him no, it was stupid, a bad idea, yadda yadda yadda...” He paused for a moment. “And... and then I realized that I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Like, before he put it out there it hadn’t even crossed my mind, but then I started seeing him differently. And then this one time... Well.” Geordi cleared his throat. “So I said, what the hell, let’s try it. But it was just... it all went wrong, and I-I... I needed more from a partner than he could give. Like, I wanted him to like me the way I liked him, but he couldn’t, and it didn’t feel... It didn’t feel fair to him, somehow, like I was using him or something... I dunno...” He shook his head, his milky-white blind eyes gazing sightlessly out into the storm. “So I broke it off. And he was confused, but he got over it. And then... then he got that chip. And he came to me, and he said he understood, and he loved me, and he wanted to try again...” Geordi fell silent.

“And now you’re together?” Will prompted. Geordi laughed humorlessly.

“Nah. I told him no. Said he didn’t know what it meant, to love someone, to be in a relationship. That he needed to figure himself out first, before getting involved with anyone else.” He sighed irritably and shook his head. “What a fucking idiot. I’ve wasted all this time...”

“Hey, hey...” Will’s voice was soft. “It’s perfectly understandable. Under the circumstances...”

“And now he’s dying.” Geordi didn’t seem to have heard him. “He’s gonna die, and I'll have missed out on the chance to show him what he means to me, and how much I care...” His voice shook and he gasped a harsh sob before dragging his sleeve across his face and hunkering down into the blanket.

“You don’t know that.” Will tried to force conviction into his voice. “Tomorrow we’re out of here, storm or no storm. Once you’re back on the Enterprise you can fix him up, have a second chance. I’m a great believer in second chances.”

“Sure.” Geordi mumbled. “If we get outta here alive.”

 

“Arthur Conan Doyle.”

The android’s eyes snapped open. He blinked a couple of times as his systems came online and then groaned softly.

“We’ve got to go.” Geordi said gently, gripping Data’s shoulder. “There’s a break between two storm fronts, it’s the best chance we’re gonna get for a while. Will couldn’t move the shuttle any closer so we’ve got to go now if we’re gonna make it out before the next big storm hits.”

Data’s head wobbled on his neck in an almost-nod. “I will require assistance.”

“That’s okay, we’re here.” Will said as he reached down to grab Data’s arm, and the two men helped him to stand on his shaking legs. Geordi and Will were carrying their supplies, had tidied the cave of any evidence of their presence. As they made their way to the mouth of the cave Will turned back to sweep his gaze over the interior of their shelter one last time. No sign that they had ever been there, save for the churned up sodden dirt where Data had bled onto the floor. He shuddered.

“Let’s get out of here.” He said with feeling, before looping Data’s arm over his shoulder to support the android’s weight, and the three stumbled out into the incessant rain.

 

When the shuttle finally appeared through the curtain of rain Geordi could have shouted aloud from relief, but for the fact that he was gasping for breath. A mile had never seemed so far. Data had leaned on the two men more and more the further they went, and was now almost dead weight, his feet dragging along the ground with every step. His head was hanging limp, his chest heaving with effort, and Geordi tightened his grip on the android’s waist.

“Almost there.” He panted. “Not far now.” His visor stuttered again. “Storm’s closing in.”

“We’ll have to tack along the surface a way, try and stay in the gap.” Will answered, before hoisting Data a little higher on his shoulder. “Come on, nearly there.”

Data put a little more weight on his feet to help his two friends as they tried to increase the pace, and the shuttle’s door opened in welcome as they neared. Data all but fell into the little craft as they boarded, and Will let him down as gently as he could before moving swiftly into the cockpit and bringing the shuttle online, the hull thrumming as the engines fired up. Geordi slipped his arm out from under the android and gripped his pale shoulder tight.

“Geordi.” Data whispered. Geordi reached out to smooth back the android’s hair.

“Just hang on in there.” He murmured, before shoving himself up to take the co-pilot’s seat, his fingers dancing over the console as the little craft rose from the surface of the planet and began scudding along under the storm before Will bought the nose up and they made a break for the safety of space. The rain boiled away from the shuttle as they pounded through the upper atmosphere, the whole craft shuddering with effort, before breaking through into the dark, star-speckled blackness above.

“Geordi.” Data’s voice was barely a murmur.

“Just a sec, gotta...” Geordi tweaked the controls.

“I’ve got this, go, go.” Will jerked his head aft as he opened the comm. “Riker to Enterprise, come in! Enterprise, do you copy?”

Geordi stumbled wearily to where the android lay slumped on the floor, and tried to convince himself that the pool that was spreading under Data’s body was just rainwater. He dropped to his knees next to the android as Captain Picard’s voice answered their hail.

“Number One! We were beginning to worry...”

“Sir, there’s no time, patch me through to the transporter room!” The urgency in Will’s voice left no room for argument. There was a brief pause before a familiar Irish lilt floated across the ether.

“O’Brien here.”

“Chief, I need you to lock on to Geordi and Data as soon as you can, and beam them straight to engineering. Give the team a head’s up, let them know Data’s seriously hurt.”

“Aye, sir! Locking on.”

Geordi stared down at Data, barely listening to the com chatter. The android was far too hot, his respiration had stopped, his pulse no longer thrummed under his skin.

“Hang on.” He whispered as the shimmering particles of the transporter beam coalesced around them.

 

“Hey, get that over here, help me get him up! Optical cables here and here... Yeah, that set, great. Okay, you, ice packs, as many as you can carry. Just pack them round his chest, try and bring his temperature down. No, not that tool set... yeah, that’s the one. Okay, we’ve gotta go layer by layer through this... Yeah, that seam there... Check the database on the replicator, get us a new fluid storage tank, we’ll replace the whole unit. No-no-no, like this... that’s it. Get on replicating the fluid, should have the spec on the system... No-no, I don’t want any... actually a coffee, that’d be great. Yeah, the next layer detaches just there, at the junction... No, let me do that... _Where are those ice packs?_ Come on, people, let’s move!”

 

Picard met Riker in the shuttle bay as the craft slowly powered down and the first officer made his way wearily out onto the familiar deck. Picard looked grim.

“I take it that things did not go as planned?”

Riker shook his head. “It’s bad, sir. Data’s hurt, and it’s serious. We did the best we could on the surface, but...” He frowned deeply. “I’m not sure it was enough.”

“I see.” Picard’s face was carefully composed. “I want a full report. Eat, get changed, and then meet me in my ready room.”

“Aye sir.”


	4. Chapter 4

He had showered and changed, wolfed down a meal and made his report to the captain before staggering back to his quarters and falling asleep, still fully clothed. It was eight hours later that he gulped down a coffee and made his way down to engineering on the request of one of the team working on Data. As he entered the department he was enveloped in the comforting thrum of the warp core, and he relaxed minutely as the sound washed over and around him in a wave of familiarity. He assessed the situation swiftly, his eyes searching each face as he walked towards the makeshift surgery where Geordi was hunched over the android. Riker was alarmed to see that, rather than bustling around the chief engineer and assisting him, the other engineers were drifting aimlessly around, or were engaged in menial tasks. He frowned.

“Hey, Geordi.”

“Will!” Geordi looked up with a tight smile. “You’re just in time! I’m about to bring him online.”

“Really? Fantastic!” The sense of relief was almost overwhelming. “I have to admit, I was worried...”

“No need to worry, everything’s gonna be fine.” Geordi turned to a console and typed a rapid string of commands, his fingers rattling over the surface. “Won’t be a moment!”

Riker heard a soft cough behind him and turned to see one of the engineers. She looked worried and tired, and her eyes darted from him to the chief engineer as she spoke.

“Sir? Might I have a moment?”

“Of course, but I don’t want to miss seeing Data...”

“Just a moment sir, I’m sure you won’t miss anything.”

“Alright.” Riker quirked his head in acknowledgement and allowed himself to be drawn aside. He recognized her as the one who had asked for him to come to the department, had assumed it was because they were bringing Data round. “What can I do for you?”

“We need you to get him to stop.” Her mouth was tightly drawn, tension in every line of her body. “He’s been at this since he came back, he hasn’t taken a break or eaten, and... Sir, it’s not working. This is the fifth time he’s said he’s ready, but it’s... he’s not...” She swallowed and Riker saw her eyes brim with tears. “We think Data is dead, sir. And Geordi won’t listen to us...” She cleared her throat and looked back over to where Geordi was frowning down at the android. Riker coughed.

“Any luck, Geordi?”

“Ah, no, but next time for sure. I must’ve made a mistake somewhere. Won’t be long!” As Geordi bent over the console again, Riker could see the forced cheerfulness slip, the engineer’s hunched shoulders and shaking hands symptoms of his exhaustion and the despair he was forcing from his mind. Riker’s heart sank as he moved over to where Data lay, cables and tubes running to and fro across his body, his closed eyes and lax face making him seem merely asleep. His wounds had been healed, the pale gold bioplast flawless where before had been a gaping wound. But his body was still and silent, no breath moved through his cooling unit, no pulse beat under his skin. Riker felt sorrow threaten to choke him, and coughed to clear the lump from his throat.

“Why don’t you take a break?” Riker said gently. Geordi shook his head irritably. Up close Riker could see that the engineer hadn’t washed or changed since their return from the planet, his uniform rumpled and still slightly damp around the seams, his face smeared with dirt. Riker reached out and put his hand on Geordi’s shoulder.

“Come on, let’s go grab something to eat. Data’s not going anywhere, he’s okay for a bit. Then you can come back with a clear head.”

Geordi frowned deeply, but his hands slowed in their frantic dance across the screen, and eventually he let his arms drop to his sides.

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right. I could do with a bit of time to work out where I’m going wrong.” He staggered as he moved away from the console, and Riker gripped him by the upper arm to steady him. “Huh, guess I’m more tired than I thought!” Geordi forced a smile to his face, and turned back to the room as Riker led him towards the turbolift.

“Don’t anyone touch him, I’ll be right back!”

The engineers mumbled a chorus of ‘aye sir’s, and then went back to their relative tasks, staunchly ignoring the deactivated android lying like a corpse in their midst.

 

Deanna Troi walked quietly into the almost-empty engineering department. Will had come to her, distraught, and had begged her to try and talk sense into the chief engineer. He told her what had happened, that he had managed to get Geordi to eat and had left him to rest. At the next opportunity she had checked Geordi’s location and was shocked to find that, a mere five hours later, he was back at work. She kept her face carefully bland as she moved across the room to where Geordi was glaring at a console. She reached out with her mind, assessing his emotional state, and her heart ached for him. He knew, deep down, that it was hopeless, but he had bundled up his fear and grief and shoved it to the back of his mind, had overlaid it with false optimism, wrapped his dark thoughts in denial. She sighed softly and came to where Data lay, still and quiet. She gave herself a silent moment to grieve before burying her own feelings and turning her attention to the engineer.

“Hello Geordi.”

“Hey.” Geordi frowned at the screen. “Sorry, bit busy.”

“I’m here to talk. Would you stop for a minute please?” Her voice was soft and gentle, but Geordi sighed deeply in irritation as he turned away from the screen.

“Sure. How can I help you?”

“Actually I’m here to help _you_.”

Geordi scowled. “I don’t need help, unless you know anything about cybernetics.”

“This isn’t about Data, it’s about you.” Despite her words she reached down to the android and smoothed his hair back affectionately. “I need you to come away. It’s time to stop.”

“Stop?” Geordi glared at her. “How can I stop? If I’m not working on him who will?”

“Geordi, no-one’s going to be working on him. Everyone has their time...”

“You want me to give up, is that it?” Geordi clenched his jaw. “You want me to just quit, after everything?”

“You’re not quitting. You’ve done everything you possibly could, and now it’s time to let him go. He’s not coming back, Geordi.”

“You’re wrong!” Geordi snarled. “He’s _right there_! It’s all locked away inside, I’ve just got to work out how to access it! He’s just a _machine_ , if I can just...”

“He was never just a machine, and you know it.” Deanna looked at him searchingly with her dark eyes. “Whatever spark there was that made him more than that is gone. He’s not in there anymore. You have to let him go.”

“I-I can’t!” Geordi cried, throwing his hands up. “I... I promised him! I said I’d do everything I could...”

“And you _have_ , Geordi. He’d understand. But it’s time to stop. Come away.”

Geordi gaped at her. “I... I can’t believe you’re _saying_ this! After everything we’ve been through, everything he’s done for us... you want me to just stop?”

“Yes, I do. I know you understand, deep down, that he’s gone. You have to accept it.”

“You don’t really believe that.” Geordi’s face crumpled. “You don’t really think he’s dead, and-and neither do I...”

“I’m so sorry Geordi, truly I am. And I’ll miss him, we all will. But it’s time for you to give him peace.”

“I-I can’t just...” Geordi gulped. “I won’t... He’s...” His shoulders shook and his chest heaved with a convulsive sob. “I can’t just leave him...”

“He’s already gone.” Deanna’s deep sad eyes looked straight through him, piercing him straight to his soul, and the layers of blissful ignorance peeled away from his heart. With a mournful howl his knees buckled and he collapsed onto the pale immobile form. Deanna felt her heart break as Geordi’s grief rolled over her in a dark wave of despair, his wrenching sobs echoing around the room as he poured out his sorrow onto the android’s corpse. She waited until his wails had subsided before touching his back gently.

“Come on, now.”

Geordi pushed himself up on shaking arms and snatched his visor from his face to drag his sleeve across his eyes, smearing his face with tears.

“So... fucking stupid.” He mumbled through his gasping sobs. “Such a stupid... way to die.” He shoved his visor back over his face and looked down at Data’s cold face. “So... fucking...” His body shook with a fresh wave of hysteria, and Deanna moved around the table to gather him into her arms, her own tears running freely down her face as he buried his face in her shoulder and wept.

“I tried so hard!” He wailed. “I tried so, so hard!”

“I know, I know.” She rubbed his back comfortingly.


	5. Chapter 5

The whole crew had been stunned by the news. The ship rang with the android’s absence, conversations muted and halting as the ship’s compliment came to terms with the loss. Data had been a part of their lives for so long, had seemed almost immortal. There wasn’t a life on the Enterprise that hadn’t been touched by his presence, his willingness to assist anyone, his gentle nature and childlike curiosity.

Geordi mused over the fact as he looked down into Data’s pale motionless face. Doctor Crusher had laid the android out in state in the engineering department, and now they were preparing to load the body into an empty torpedo case, to give him an honorable burial at space. His uniform was crisp and clean, the rank pips gleaming, his hair immaculately slicked back. Geordi sighed heavily.

“So many things I meant to say.” He murmured. He had requested some time alone with the body, to say goodbye in private. But now the time was here, the words stuck in his throat. He coughed to try and clear his throat and it turned into a sob.

“I don’t know what went wrong.” He whispered brokenly, reaching out to smooth his thumb over Data’s brow, cupping the android’s face in his palm. “It should have worked. We got your temperature back down in time, your processors are functioning, neural nets intact... There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be fine.” He removed his visor to rub his eyes. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

He pushed his visor back into place to check the time on the console. Ten more minutes, and they’d be loading Data into the torpedo. He blew out a shaking breath.

“I tried, I really did. I did everything I could think of. It-It was like there was... some kind of block. Some bit of code...”

An icy shiver of anxiety swept down his spine. _Some sort of block..._ He checked the time again before snatching up a cable. With a haste born of desperation he plugged it into Data’s temple and then into the console, stabbing at the screen with trembling fingers. His gaze swept the information rapidly. Nothing that hadn’t been there when he had tried before. Every readout said that Data _should_ be active. But he wasn’t. Geordi’s heart thumped painfully in his chest. Could it really be that simple? He leaned over the android and whispered;

“Sherlock Holmes.”

Nothing. Not a flicker of movement, no register of neural activity. Despair swamped him as he watched the screen for any sign of Data awakening, before thumping his palm to his forehead.

“Arthur Conan Doyle!” He cried. Of course! They had changed it! Suddenly the screen lit up as reams of information scrolled up the screen, and he jerked his head around to see Data’s chest heave and his eyes snap open.

“Data?” Geordi breathed. He didn’t dare hope. Maybe it was a fluke. Any moment Data would collapse back into death. Maybe this was a hallucination, bought on by stress.

“Geordi?” Data sat up and turned his head to the engineer slowly, his eyes full of confusion. “What... How long..?” His eyes flicked from side to side as he analysed his situation before reaching up slowly to the cable jutting from his head. He explored it for a moment with his fingertips before looking at the engineer, who was regarding him with a look somewhere between terror and joy.

“Why have I been inactive for so long?” Data queried, and Geordi gasped a laugh that turned into a sob as he threw himself onto the android, wrapping his arms around him and laughing and crying, and Data regarded him in puzzlement for a moment before tentatively putting his arms around the man.

“Geordi? What is wrong?”

Geordi leaned back, clutching Data’s arms as if afraid to let him go. He gave a shaky laugh.

“Oh boy, where do I start? Put it like this... we’ve got a party to go to!”

 

“I’ve gotta say, this is probably the best funeral I’ve ever been to!”

Deanna grinned at Will. “I think you said the same thing about Geordi’s.”

Will laughed. “You know, I’d forgotten about that! A funeral apiece, and both still with us.” He beamed over at the bar, where Geordi and Data had been cornered by a gaggle of well-wishers, and were attempting to answer every question posed to them.

The elation that had swept through the crew at the news of Data’s reactivation had been a delight for Deanna. She sipped her drink thoughtfully as she looked out over the packed bar and then extended her senses, basking in the joy of her companions.

The Captain had made a heart-felt speech, shook hands and smiled and laughed, and then made his excuses and retired to his quarters. Will had known the real reason for his departure; Picard knew that the party wouldn’t really get going until the captain left. It saddened him a little, to think that his captain would miss out, even as he acknowledged the truth of it. He looked over at the bar again. The crowd had managed to separate Geordi and Data. Geordi was sitting on a bar stool clutching a drink and laughing. Data was surrounded by a gaggle of engineers and was obviously holding court on some technical matter. The two seemed to be happy enough although, Will mused, the looks that they were throwing each other were increasingly transparent. He grinned to himself and Deanna nudged him in the ribs.

“Now what’s that look for?” She looked at him with one eyebrow arched.

“I think Data and Geordi are looking forward to getting their second chance.” He nodded in their direction and Deanna gazed at them across the bar, tuning in to their relative emotional states.

“Hmm, I see what you mean.” She frowned minutely. “Although they won’t have much of an opportunity to talk to each other tonight.”

“I don’t think talking’s what they have in mind.” Riker graced her with his most disarming smile and she slapped him playfully on the arm.

“Just because you’re single minded doesn’t mean they are!” She flashed him a look of mock irritation, which only made his smile widen.

“Well, you’re the empath, tell me I’m wrong.” He dared her. She pursed her lips prettily.

“I’m not telling you anything about what’s going on in their heads.” She looked thoughtfully across the room. “It does seem a shame, though.” She mused.

“Well maybe something should be done about it. After all...” Will swept Deanna’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it before grinning. “I’m a great believer in second chances.”

She snatched her hand back with a laugh as he loped away from her to bound up onto the small raised stage area.

“Folks, folks, your attention please!” His voice rang melodiously through the room. “I’m delighted to welcome you all to Data’s celebration-of-life party!” He paused to allow a break for applause and cheers. “Now, I know you all have been wondering; what really happened down there on that mud-ball of a planet? Well, let me tell you, it was no walk in the park!”

Deftly he drew the attention of the crowd, and gradually the huddles around Data and Geordi broke up as people were caught and held in the first officer’s dramatic retelling of their escapades. Geordi grinned to himself as he listened to Will, who was somehow contriving to make them all sound like heroes. He started when someone touched his arm.

“Jeez, Data, I should put a bell on you!”

“My apologies. I will in future attempt to walk with a heavier tread.”

Geordi grinned up at him. “So. Enjoying the party?”

“It is... gratifying, to know that so many people were grieved by my absence. And, of course, that so many were pleased to find that the reports of my death had been greatly exaggerated.”

Geordi chuckled, although his heart ached in his chest. Just a few short hours ago, Data had been dead. He swallowed a gulp of his drink as he tried to work out what to say now. All those things that he’d wished he had said before, and now he had his chance he just... clammed up. He frowned to himself. Data glanced down at him before leaning in, and Geordi shivered, his heart beating faster.

“I think that I would like to leave.” Data murmured. Geordi glanced up at him in surprise.

“Really? It’s your party! Aren’t you having a good time?”

“At this precise moment I must admit that my thoughts are occupied with a number of options for other pursuits which, at this moment, seem preferable.”

“O-kay.” Geordi turned back to watch Will, who seemed to be acting out some part of their adventure that involved waving his arms wildly, to peals of laughter. “So, what would you rather be doing?” Geordi sipped his drink.

“You.”

Geordi choked a laugh as his beer left his mouth through his nose. He wiped his face hurriedly with his sleeve and looked up at Data with a grin. Data was not laughing. His yellow eyes were glowing with warmth, his mouth quirked in a small smile, and Geordi felt a rush of heat sweep through his body.

“Um...” Geordi’s throat suddenly felt dry, and he swallowed another swig of beer to cover his awkwardness. “Don’t you think we’ll be missed? And what if someone sees us leaving together?”

“Are you concerned that the reaction to the revelation of our romantic involvement may be negative?”

“... No...”

“Well then.” Data leaned down and kissed him, his lips soft and gentle, and Geordi felt as if he was melting. His hand came up to slip around Data’s neck, pulling him down to deepen the kiss, and Data made a small noise of pleasure in the back of his throat before pulling away to stand up, looking down on the engineer with an expression of such joy that Geordi could have wept.

“I would like to leave, now.” Data’s tone left nothing to the imagination, and Geordi trembled as he placed his glass on the bar and stood up. He swept the room with his gaze, wondering if anyone had noticed, but the only person looking in their direction was Deanna, who shook her dark curls with a smile before shooing them away with small movements of her hand. Geordi grinned at her, Data took his hand, and they crept from the room just as Riker called for the band and picked up his trombone.

It was sometime before anyone wondered where they had gone.


End file.
